Merchandise display rack



March 7, 1950 l.. H. BURLIN MERCHANDISE DISPLAY RACK Filed March 12, 1945 jatentecl Mar. 7, 1"9 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Milton L. Sturm,

doing business as Milton Sturm & Company, Chicago, lll.

Application March l2, i945, Serial No. 582,384

. 5 Claims.

This invention relates to merchandise display racks.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a display rack for receiving and holding individual articles of merchandise of similar shapes and which will display a maximum amount of the outer area of each article.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a display rack which is rotatably mounted so that it may be turned to bring the different articles of merchandise displayed thereon into a position desirable to facilitate the making of a selection for a particular piece of merchandise on the display rack.

Consider a rack for holding and displaying a plurality of objects, such as, for instance, tooth brushes. The rack is adapted to hold tooth brushes of various kinds and various colors. Each tooth brush may be labeled. It is desirable that all of the brushes shall be so held in the rack. that a customer can very quickly examine all of them to make a desired selection. It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a display rack in Which individual articles such as, for instance, tooth brushes, may be mounted by merely dropping the brush into a specific position in the rack and may be removed from the rack by merely lifting the brush therefrom.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a display rack in which the brushes are held in a neat and substantially parallel arrangement with a maximum number of brushes visible from the outer periphery ofthe rack as the rack is turned.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a display rack with a central column for receiving and holding a display sign which remains stationary even though the merchandise-holding portion of the rack is being rotated to bring the merchandise in different parts of the rack to the foremost position. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a rotatable display rack wherein substantially all of the merchandise held on the rack is visible at all times regardless of the position of the rack.

The attainment of the above and further obiects of the present invention will be apparent from. the following specication taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view through a display rack embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan View of the display rack taken 55 (Cl. 2li-20) at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the central supporting column; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the line 3--3 of Figure v1.

Reference may now be had more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout. v

The rack is indicated by the reference numeral i and comprises a base 2 which has a flat bottom cf a generally oval shape and which is wedgeshaped in thickness and has an inclined top 4 which is also oval-shaped- The top 4 is at an angle of approximately 15 to the horizontal. A circular wooden rod or column 6 extends into a hole in the base 2, being press fitted thereinto so that the center column is rigidly united with the base. The longitudinal aXis of the column 6 is inclined approximately 15 to the vertical or to the bottom surface 3 of the base 2. y A circular wooden spool 'I having at upper and lower surfaces is slipped over the top of the column ii and rests on the surface 4 of the base 2.

An article supporting frame, which is the principal part of the rack, is indicated at I The frame consists of a circular base Il made of ply- Wood or the like, which is overlaid by a circular stencil i3 of the same outside diameter as that Aof the base. A band I4 surrounds the periphery of the base and the stencil, thereby concealing the joint between the two. A wooden circular spool Si, which is flat at the top and flat at the bottom, rests on the stencil I3. TWO or more nails I8-I8 extend through the base II, the stencil I3, and into the bottom of the spool II and thus serve to hold the base, the stencil. and thespool together. The bottom of the base II may be counterbored for receiving the heads of the nails or, if not counterbored, then the nails are driven so firmly in place that the heads thereof barely, if at all', project from the bottom of the base. Another circular stencil 2B, which is preferably made of a sheet of transparent plastic material, is nailed to the top of the spool II as by two or more nails .2l-4! that extend through the stencil 2li and into the spool I l. The stencil 2li is appreclably thinner than the stencil I3 and is of the same diameter as the stencil I3. The two stencils have identical cuts therein, of which more will be said as this description proceeds.

In order to support the upper stencil at its periphery the base I2 and each of tbe two stencils are provided with a plurality of holes. in this in stance six, uniformly spaced from one another and adjacent the periphery of the base and the stencils. Through each of these holes there ex- 3 tends a rod which is surrounded by a sleeve 26 that is relatively loose on the rod. The bottom of each rod 25 is press fitted into its receiving hole in the base I I. Each sleeve 25 rests on the stencil I3 and is held in position by its rod 25 and supports the top stencil 28 adjacent the periphery of the top stencil. The articlesupporting frame is slipped over the column 6 until the base I I rests on the spool l. The central bore through the base II, the spool Il, and the two stencils I3 and 20 are in alignment and are only slightly in excess of the diameter of the column 5 so as to permit free sliding and turning of the article-supporting frame IB on the colum 6. After the frame has been positioned on the column another circular spool 28 having a flat top and a flat bottom is also slipped over the column 6 and serves to conceal the tops of the nails 2|. A nail 29 is driven through the spool 28 into the column 6 to secure the spool 28.

Thereafter a knob 30, which is circular in cross section and has a central bore extending part way therethrough from the bottom thereof, is slipped over the top of the column 5. The knob makes a tight friction t with the column and is thus held in place. The knob 3U has a straight slot 33 extending across the top thereof. This slot is provided for receiving an advertising sign or placard such as is indicated at 34.

The article-supporting frame I0 is adapted to support a large number of identical or similar articles and display them to maximum advantage. To that efect each of the stencils I3 and 20 has a number of oval holes 4D therein. The holes in the two stencils are in alignment when viewed in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the column 6, that is, along a line at right angles to the plane of the base II. In this instance the holes 4U are arranged in three circular rows. In the inner row 4I the oval holes are arranged with their longitudinal or major axes substantially at right angles to a radius extending from the center of the oval holes 4S to the center of the column 6. In the middle row 43 the holes 40 are arranged so that their major axes extend substantially radially of the stencil. In the outer row the holes 40 are arranged with their major axes at an angle approximately 35 to a radius drawn from the center of the stencil to the center of the major axis of the hole. The holes are made of an oval shape so that the supporting frame may receive in each pair of aligned holes of the stencils an article such as a case which is transparent and contains a tooth brush. One standard sectional shape of such cases 50 is an oval shape corresponding to the shape of a hole 4i) in the stencils. The case 50 extends through the hole in the top stencil. The bottom of the case enters into a corresponding hole in the stencil I3, thus holding the case 5U in proper position for display. By reason of the fact that the holes 4B in the outer row of holes are at an angle to the radius, a large part of the surface of each case 58 at the front of the display rack is visible, while at the same time allowing for a large number of article-receiving holes 40 in the outer rovi7 of holes. By turning the frame l0 about the center of the column 6 as an axis diierent parts of the frame are brought to a forward position to facilitate examination of adjacent articles on the frame.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have here shown and described a. preferred embodiment of my invention. It is, however, 'to be understood that the invention is 4 not limited to the precise construction here shown, the same being merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. What is considered new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A display rack comprising a base, an inclined column secured to and extending upwardly therefrom, a spool surrounding the column above the base, an article supporting frame through the center of which the column extends, said frame resting on said spool and being rotatable about said column, said frame including a bottom member, a bottom stencil on the top surface of the bottom member, a top stencil spaced from and of the same shape as the bottom stencil, and means for securing the bottom member and the two stencils together, means secured to the column and overlying the top stencil thereby holding the frame against upward removal from said column, each of said stencils having a plurality of holes therethrough arranged in a plurality of concentric circles centered at the center of the column, the holes in the two stencils being in alignment to receive and hold articles, and a knob at the tcp of the column.

2. A display rack comprising a base, an inclined column secured to and extending upwardly therefrom, a spool surrounding the column above the base, an article-supporting frame through the center of which the column extends, said frame resting on said spool and being rotatable about Said column, said frame including a bottom member, a bottom stencil on the top surface of the bottom member, a second spool on the stencil with its longitudinal axis at right angles to and passing through the center of the bottom member, means securing the bottom member, the stencil and the second spool together, a top stencil of the same shape as the bottom stencil and centrally supported by said second spool, means for supporting the periphery of the top stencil in fixed spaced relationship to the bottom member, means secured to the column and overlying the top stencil thereby holding the frame against upward removal from said column, each of said stencils having a plurality of holes therethrough arranged in a plurality of concentric circles centered at the center of the column, the holes in the two stencils being in alignment to receive and hold articles.

3. A display rack comprising a base, an inclined column secured to and extending upwardly therefrom, a spool surrounding the column above the base, an article-supporting frame through the center of which the column extends, said frame resting on said spool and being rotatable about said column, said frame including a circular bottom member, a circular bottom stencil on the top surface of the bottom member, a second spool on the stencil with its longitudinal axis at right angles to and passing through the center of the bottom member, means securing the bottom member, the stencil and the second spool together, a top stencil of the same shape as the bottom stencil and centrally supported by said second spool, means for supporting the periphery of the top stencil in fixed spaced relationship to the bottom member, said means comprising headed pins extending through the top stencil and secured in said bottom member and collars surrounding the pins and extending from the bottom stencil to the top stencil, means secured to the column and overlying the top stencil thereby holding the frame against upward removal from said column, each of said stencils having a plurality of oval holes therethrough arranged in a. plurality of concentric circles centered at the center of the column, the holes in the two stencils being in alignment to receive and hold articles.

4. A tooth brush display rack comprising a base, an inclined column secured to and extending upwardly therefrom, a spool surrounding the column above the base, an article-supporting frame through the 'center of ywhich the column extends, said frame resting on said spool and being rotatable about said column, said frame including a circular' bottom member, a circular bottom stencil on the top surface of the bottom member, a second spool on the stencil with its longitudinal axis at right angles to and passing through the `center of the bottom member, means securing the bottom member, the stencil and the second spool together, a top stencil of the same shape as the bottom stencil and centrally supported by said second spool, means for supporting the periphery of the top stencil in xed spaced relationship to the bottom member, said means comprising headed pins extending through the top stencil and secured in said bottom member and collars surrounding the pins and extending from the bottom stencil to the top stencil, and a collar surrounding and secured to the column and overlying the top stencil thereby holding the frame against upward removal from said column, each of said stencils having a plurality of oval holes therethrough arranged in a plurality of concentric circles centered at the center of the column, the holes in the two stencils being in alignment, the respective holes being adapted to receive and display oval-shaped tooth brush packages, the major axis of each hole in the outer circle being at a substantial acute angle to a radius from the center of the hole to the center of the column, the major axis of each hole of the innermost row being at right angles to such radius, the major axis of each opening in an intermediate row being radial.

5. A display rack comprising a base, an inclined column secured to and extending upwardly therefrom, an article supporting frame through the center of which the column extends, said frame including a bottom member, a bottom stencil on the top surface of the bottom member, a top stencil spaced from and of the same shape as the bottom stencil, and means for securing the bottom member and the two stencils together, means secured to the column and overlying the top stencil thereby holding the frame against upward removal from said column, each of said stencils having a plurality of holes therethrough arranged in a plurality of concentric circles centered at the center of the column, the holes in the two stencils being in alignment to receive and hold articles.

LESLIE H. BURLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the lc of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 118,451 Harris Aug. 29, 1871 256,600 Schell Apr. 18, 1882 311,613 Shelden Feb. 3, 1885 322,600 Hazelton July 21, 1885 421,352 De Weese et al Feb. 11, 1890 792,806 Wolke June 20, 1905 811,414 La Francis Jan. 30, 1906 978,670 Solomon Dec. 13, 1910 1,158,916 Goldsmith Nov. 2, 1915 1,968,448 Harrison July 31, 1934 2,281,849 McCoppin May 5, 1942 

